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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. key — in music
  4. key — the most important part
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rash — a series
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. cell — in biology
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. key — for a lock
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — a law
  18. perch — the fish
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. rash — hasty
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. cell — a phone

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com